Penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) are the main targets for beta-lactam antibiotics, such as penicillins and cephalosporins, in a wide range of bacterial species. In some Gram-positive strains, the surge of resistance to treatment with beta-lactams i ...

Penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) are the main targets for beta-lactam antibiotics, such as penicillins and cephalosporins, in a wide range of bacterial species. In some Gram-positive strains, the surge of resistance to treatment with beta-lactams is primarily the result of the proliferation of mosaic PBP-encoding genes, which encode novel proteins by recombination. PBP2x is a primary resistance determinant in Streptococcus pneumoniae, and its modification is an essential step in the development of high level beta-lactam resistance. To understand such a resistance mechanism at an atomic level, we have solved the x-ray crystal structure of PBP2x from a highly penicillin-resistant clinical isolate of S. pneumoniae, Sp328, which harbors 83 mutations in the soluble region. In the proximity of the Sp328 PBP2x* active site, the Thr(338) --> Ala mutation weakens the local hydrogen bonding network, thus abrogating the stabilization of a crucial buried water molecule. In addition, the Ser(389) --> Leu and Asn(514) --> His mutations produce a destabilizing effect that generates an "open" active site. It has been suggested that peptidoglycan substrates for beta-lactam-resistant PBPs contain a large amount of abnormal, branched peptides, whereas sensitive strains tend to catalyze cross-linking of linear forms. Thus, in vivo, an "open" active site could facilitate the recognition of distinct, branched physiological substrates.